Is ‘The Idol’ good for Hollywood Jews or ‘torture porn’? By PJ Grisar Jun 6, 2023 This story was originally published in the Forward. Live Nation representative Andrew Finkelstein rolls up to the gate of his client Jocelyn’s estate in a bright red convertible — when the guard stops him and he doesn’t have ID, he Googles himself: “See that punim?” It takes the intervention of Chaim, Joss’ manager, who has locked… Read More
Film ‘Concerned Citizen’ tackles gentrification and race in Tel Aviv (JTA) — The Israeli satirical drama film “Concerned Citizen” opens with the sacrosanct rituals of a bourgeois Tel Aviv life: a robot vacuum slides… By Sarah Rosen Jun 4, 2023
Film At SF DocFest, secrets from a Jewish mother’s hippie past One day in 1969, Linda Goldfine left work at a Boston department store and hopped aboard a West Coast-bound van full of hippies she had just met. They… By Andrew Esensten Jun 2, 2023
Theater 'A Transparent Musical' is speaking its truth and singing its faith This story was originally published in the Forward. “Jewish and queer, that’s your headline,” Faith Soloway, the composer and lyricist behind the new… By Gary Rudoren Jun 1, 2023
TV Will Midge Maisel's Jewish legacy be more than a punchline? (JTA) — After five seasons, 20 Emmy awards and plenty of Jewish jokes, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” aired its final episode on Friday. The lauded Amazon… By Shira Li Bartov May 31, 2023
The Bagel Report Austin Basis on playing TV writer in final season of 'Mrs. Maisel' This week, we’re joined by actor Austin Basis — who plays Alvin, the head writer of “The Gordon Ford Show,” the show-within-a-show in… By The Bagels May 30, 2023
Opinion As a retired Jewish comedy writer, I support the writers' strike This story was originally published in the Forward. As a WGA member, I was verklempt when I saw over 1,000 demonstrators and hundreds of onlookers at the… By Sybil Adelman Sage May 30, 2023
TV Q&A: Meet Pamela Schuller, the comedian on ‘Jewish Matchmaking’ Those of you who watched “Jewish Matchmaking” on Netflix may remember Pamela Schuller from her date with Stuart, the musician from Chicago, in the final… By The Bagels May 25, 2023
Comedy In her new special, Sarah Silverman reminds us why we love her This story was originally published in the Forward. Early in the pandemic, Sarah Silverman tried (and largely failed) to win us back with diarrhea. When… By PJ Grisar May 25, 2023